The LuLac Edition #1886, January 3rd, 2012

"Even Steven" logo.

ROMNEY’S "EVEN STEVEN"

What may be a strong success for Mitt Romney might also be a weakness too. I took two of those newspaper polls last week on Ipods and a social messaging website. After I took their poll question, I answered the following question:
Do you find Mitt Romney:
Very favorable.
Somewhat favorable.
Fairly unfavorable.
Strongly unfavorable.
In the category Somewhat favorable, he scored 26%.
In the category Fairly unfavorable, he scored 25%.
In the category Very favorable, he scored 25%.
In the category strongly unfavorable he tallied 24%.
Now this poll was just two random snapshots in a newspaper in the course of three days…but it shows that opinion on Romney is pretty even in terms of how well he is perceived and how `unfavorable he is viewed. Romney does not seem to ignite great passion either way. The ironic thing about this year’s Iowa vote is that Romney may win with less votes than he got in 2008 finishing third. Will this “even Steven” polling of Romney help him get the nomination as the least offensive alternative for the nomination but doom a general election campaign? Time will tell.

SANTORUM ON MEET THE PRESS

David Gregory really tried to do a number on Rick Santorum on Sunday’s “Meet the Press”. Santorum did very well under a barrage of questioning where a strident Gregory questioned Santorum’s backing of Mitt Romney in 2008. Santorum said it was a political decision he made at the time. Gregory had to realize that the answer was honest but belittled Santorum for putting that in that context. Gregory thinks he’s tough and thinks he’s Tim Russert. He’s not. I’m no Santorum backer but his treatment of the Presidential candidate lends credence t the fact that there is a liberal media bias. To Santorum’s credit, he held fast and made Gregory look like a spoiled little boy trying to live up to someone’s expectations.

CORBETT’S BIG FREEZE

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Gov. Tom Corbett is ordering a pay freeze for top state employees, including himself.
Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley told The Philadelphia Inquirer in a story published Tuesday the freeze applies to members of the governor's Cabinet and management employees in state government.
Corbett's order blocked three-percent annual cost-of-living increases that were scheduled to take effect Sunday for those executive branch employees.
Harley didn't tell the paper how many people are covered by the pay freeze, but the newspaper says a similar freeze ordered about two years ago by then-Gov. Ed Rendell affected 13,000 people. Corbett continues to walk the walk in terms of trying to lower the spending in Harrisburg.

COSGROVE’S EXIT

Pittston Politics.com wrote a piece about Judge Joe Cosgrove’s exit from the Courthouse. Apparently Cosgrove left his personal belongings and desk cluttered when Mike Vough came in to get his office in order. Unless Cosgrove has a good excuse like an illness in the family or a misunderstanding of who was going to do this, this is pretty bush league and not one would have expected of him. Let’s hope that’s the case.

TOMMY’S QUESTIONS

I was struck by a line in today’s Times Leader from Jennifer Learnes Andes’ (one of our 2011 Women We Love awardees) article that said this about Interim County Manager Tom Pribula’s budget task.
Revising the 2012 budget will be one of his primary focuses. He already has a list of employees to grill about the accuracy of their expense and revenue projections.
That is telling because those hacks running some of the departments under the dome will not know what hit them. Pribula worked in private business where profits and numbers mattered. His questions will revolve around real money and need real answers to his questions. I’m really wondering how those Courthouse people who opposed the charter are going to conduct themselves in the days ahead too.